Ventilated car



(No Model.)

J. W. HARTIN. VENTILATED GAR.

No. 469,698. Patented Mar. 1, 1892.

6% I Lineman 9 gnom btoz a Afi w E WITZ ITD,

% 0% MA 2 I 32 7;? a der/1421 u-ma, WASHINGTON n c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIGE.

JOHN WV. HARTIN, OF MONETT, MISSOURI.

VENTILATED CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 469,698, dated March 1, 1892.

- Application filed June 6, 1891. Serial No. 395,301, (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN W. HARTIN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Monett, in the county of Barry'and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Fruit, Vegetable, and Poultry Ventilated Car; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

The object of my invention is to effect such changes in the construction of an ordinary freight-car as to adapt it to be used with advantage in the transportation from one point to another of perishable food products, poultry, and the like, the arrangement being such as to secure full, free, and perfect ventilation from time to time, as required, thereby preventing the accumulation of impure air and gases amid the contents of the car, while at the same time having the adaptability of being closed, in part or entirely, so as to regulate the degree of ventilation in accordance with the particular circumstances of the case, and to protect the contents of the car from rain, snow, and inclement weather generally, as varying conditions shall require.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents in perspective a car embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 represents a vertical cross-section thereof on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a partial detail perspective of one of the floor ventilating-openings, and Fig. 4 represents in perspective one of the closing slats.

Similar numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views.

Referring to the drawings, 5 indicates the trucks of a railway freight-car, supporting the ordinary frame-work thereof, consisting of a platform 6, vertical studding 7, bottom planks 8, top planks 9, and roof 10. The studdingpieces 7 are set at such distances apart as may be found most convenient, and along the inside of the car and attached to the studding are placed wooden slats 11, lengthwise of the car along its sides and transverse to the car alongits ends, with sufficient intervening space for the free circulation of the air from without to the interior. To the outside of the studding and forming the outside casing of the car is fastened ordinary wire-netting 12, such as is used for ordinary chicken-cars, and between the studding-pieces 7 are located, in the space between the wire-netting and wooden slats 11, a series of shutter-slats 13, having peg ends or pintles 14 fitting into corresponding apertures in the studding. The slats 13 are adapted to turn freely upon the pintles 14, and are connected by cross-links, as shown, to a central rod 15, which rod is suspended from an arm 16 upon a rock-shaft 17, extending from end to end ofthe car and provided with an operating-handle 18 in proximity to the roof of the car, so as to be readily manipulated from said roof. It will be understood that a similar arrangement is adopted for all four sides of the car. It results, therefore, that between the studding on all sides of the car is located a series of slats connected together, so as to form substantially what is known as Venetian blinds. In Fig. 2 is illustrated the operation of these shutter slats or blinds At the right-hand side of said figure the slats are represented as closed, which is effected by turning the 0perating-handle to a corresponding position, thereby closing that side of the car tightly. On the left-hand side of Fig. 2 the shutter slats or blinds are represented as open, so as to admit the passage of air through them. In Fig. 1 the right-hand portion of the side of the car is represented as having its ventilating-slats open and the left-hand side of the car as having its ventilating-slats closed. It will of course be understood that this is effected by having a separate rock-shaft for each portion of the side of the car, said rock-shafts being independent of each other, and being operated from opposite ends of the car and terminating at the door 19, which is of the usual sliding construction.

In the bottom of the car, and extending across its entire width, are arranged open spaces (about eight inches in width) covered by lattice-work 20, even with the bottom of the car. Underneath this lattice-work is arranged a shutter 21, having bearings 22,which pass through the sides of the car, and are squared at their ends so as to receive an operating handle or lever, by means of which the shutter may be rocked in either direction, so as to draw in air during the progress of the car, or whereby the opening may be entirely closed, as desired. The operation of this shutter is illustrated more completely in Fig. 3.

It will be seen that by means of my improved construction one person can readily manipulate the operating-handles from the outside of the car containing fruit,vegetables, poultry,or the like in trans'itu, so as to open the blinds or slats at the sides and ends of the car and the ventilating-shutters at the bottom of the car, so as to permit the airto freely circulate through the cars contents, and that the car can be as readily closed up tight when it is necessary to protect its contents from rain, snow, or inclement weather generally. It is also characteristic of the invention that these manipulations can proceed without unlocking the car. This renders it possible to securely lock the door of the car at the shipping-station, so as to protect the contents from theft or intrusion until the car has reached its destination.

The usual ventilators 23 are provided for the car-roof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A car for the transportation of fruit, vegetables, poultry, and the like, having the sides formed of vertical studding-pieces having an inside covering of horizontal slats separated from one anothcrbynarrowintervening spaces and an outside covering of wire-netting, and Venetian blinds located between the studding-pieces and working between the wire netting and the slatted inner covering, and operating-rods for manipulating the said blinds from the outside of the car, substantially as described.

2. Acar for the transportation of fruit, vegetables, poultry, and the like, having the sides formed of vertical studding-pieces having an inside covering of horizontal slats separated from one another by narrow intervening spaces and an outside covering of wire-netting, and Venetian blindslocated between the studding-pieces and working between the wire-netting and the slatted inner covering, slatted openings in the floor of the car, shutters for opening and closing the same, and means for operating the shutters and blinds from the outsideot the car, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN W. I-IARTIN.

Witnesses:

BENJ. U. MASSEY, L. K. ANDERSON. 

